Eye on Portland

I love missionaries. They're the most fantastic bunch of young men and young women (and retired couples) who given up their time to devote it serving the Lord. I am sure each of us met different sets who missionaries who bring a remarkable spirit into your home despite their individual talents and personalities. We missed out tonight having them over because we both ended up being scheduled to work which was real bummer for both Brynn and I because we hadn't fed the missionaries since we had moved here.
My Titi Amalia is getting baptized and joining the Spanish branch down in Salem which is a culminating blessing of many hours of praying and hoping that she would be another part of the family that accepted the fullness of the gospel. Briefly her story started while I was on my mission and she and the kids were still in Puerto Rico. Every once in the while she would notice the missionaries going around and they looked starved as the prostelyted so she invited them in for food. Eventually she had sat through all the lessons but still was hesitant to give up the faith of her childhood. It is a hard decision to move away in part from something that is so familiar but the gospel requires a lot of us including the willingness to change and shed the comfortable for what is right. Ultimately as she attended the branch here she found what she had been searching for but there are trials awaiting. Already things are happening to her and the kids as the opposition presses upon her. So if you can keep them in your prayers I would appreciate it.

On the field

I am so proud of the Elders Quorum. We came out in force today to help the Bemis' move, it's a great blessing to see so many honor that call by one of our fellow brethren for help. That is how the gospel is supposed to be.
Tomorrow we have an appointment to visit with our home teachers, Matt Hoiland and Taylor Mallard, and I am excited. I have not seen a home teacher in over a year in the shuffle between the singles ward in Monmouth, the Brush Hills ward in Salem, and the creation of the Maplewood Ward in Portland. I've talked about it before on how a faithful set of home teachers really have meant so much to me and was part of the reason I stepped on the plane to Oklahoma. I earnestly believe that being a home or visiting teacher is the greatest calling one can have in the church. We were talking about entrance into the Celestial Kingdom last Sunday and how after we are baptized into Christ's Church we honor our covenant and the requirement came from the Doctrine and Covenants 76 on how we must be valiant to enter into the Father's Kingdom. I know that diligent home teachers who show through their valiant effort that they are faithful to Lord's commandments are the greatest asset to sharing the fullness of the everlasting gospel.